Heat exchanger



E. G. SULLIVAN HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Feb. 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet Y. .mm of w w AMI A, G. d w w W April 5, 1932.

E. G. SULLIVAN HEAT EXCHANGEH FiledvFeb. 17, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet IN! "EN TOR.

.A1 TTORNEY.

April 5, 1932.

v\\\ lllllllllllllllllll l Patented Apr. 5, 19.32

n UNITED STATES PATENT OFI-Ice EDWARD G.`SULLIVAN, Oil' AIABILLO, ASBIGNOB T0 JOSEPH S. BELT, 0l'

MARMO, TEXAS nur nxcnuenn Application nea rebnary 1"?, mi. serial 1n. 516,408.

This invention relates to heat exchangers,

or to an apparatus for use intransferring heat from one iiuid to another fluid, throng an intervening heat conducting wall. l The primary object of the present invention is to provide improvements in heat exchangers utilizing heat exchange elements and units of the general type disclosed in my co-pending application for U. S. Letters 4Pat- 1o ent Serial Number 516,487, filed February 17 1931, whereby an extremely thorough exchange of heat ,between the fluids is eiected as required in certain specific uses of heat exchangers. In my -co-pending application .mentioned above, there is shown and described a heat exchan e unit including a iiuid conduit in the form o a flattened spirally twisted tube. As shown in said application,'eilicient forms of l0 heat exchangers for many uses may be readily constructed employing a heat exchange unit or units, each of which includes a single iiattene'd spirally twisted conduit of straight form. However, in many uses a higher de-` M gree of eiciency is required involving a reater or more complete exchange of heat etween the two fluids, and the present invention aims to'eiect this result 'by constructing aheat exchanger involving a plurality of the flattened spirally twistedconduits disposed in side by side 'or parallel relation and coiled `about a suitable core Within a casing. Means is provided to pass one fluid through these coils and to pass-the other fluid-about such coils so that the latter Huid is maintained in a highly turbulent state for eilicient heat interchanging action. Due to the coiled form of the flattened spirally twisted conduits, the iiud ilowing therethrough will be of relatively large volume and will travel in a comparatively long path as comparedto the actual length of the heat exchanger, thus insuring a device of maximum capacity and eiliciency. 0 e

The nature of the present invention as well as the objects and advantages thereof will be A more clearly apparent from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a heat exf changer constructedin accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on line 2--2v of Figure 1.

. Y Figure 3 is a transverse section online 3f--3 of Flgure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the ilattened spirally twisted tube used to form the respective coils ofthe heat exchanger" 30 -shown in Figurel. f

Figure 51S a viw'siminr to Figure 1 of a.

`modiiied form of heat exchanger embodying p the present invention; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation, partlyA a5 broken and in section, of one of the heatexchange elements utilized vto form the respec'- tive coils of the heat exchanger shown inA Figure 5e -latteris a straight tubular conduit 11 which 80 connects at its opposite end respectively with outlet and supply chambers 12 and. 13 encasing the headers 7 and 8 and respectively provided with ilu'id outlet and inlet pipes 14 and 15 surrounding the 'inlet and outlet pipes 9 85 v and 10. A casing 16'surrounds the conduit 11, anda packing 17 of heat insulating material is placedbetween the conduit 11 and casing 16. The outlet and inlet chambers. 12 and 13. may be suitably heat-insulated as indi-Y 9c cated at 1823 Each of the coiled. conduits 6 is formed from a length of flattened spirally twisted tubing as shown at 5b in Figure4 and clearly described in connection with lFi res 1v to iV 05 inclusive of my co-pending appllcation mentioned above. As explained 1n said a plication, this provides each conduit 6 with wide opposed walls which are subjected throughv out their width to the heating or cooling ac- Such other fluid, as will be readily seen, flows about th conduits 6 between the latter and the conduit 11, passing in helical paths about the core 5 parallel with the coils of these conduits 6 and also following the twists of the latter. In addition; the fluid will pass to some extent -in a'straight path directly acrossI the c oils of the conduits 6, and in this way the fluid in the outer conduit 11 is brought to and maintained in a very highly turbulent state so as to insure most efficient and uniform .heat interchanging action. The efliciency of this action is enhanced by permitting some of the fluid to flow through the core 5 in addi.

tion to passing about the conduits 6 within the conduit 11. In order to maintain the fluid in a turbulent state as it passes through the inner conduit or core 5. the latter is preferably filled with ducting powder or material as at 19, such material being maintained within the core 5 by means of foraminous closures or gauze disks 2O secured in the opposite open ends of the core 5. VIt will be seen that the heat exchanger is preferably of the countercurrent type in which one fluid passes through the conduits 6 in one direction and through the conduit 11 in the opposite direction.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, a'modified form of heat exchanger is shown including a core 5 of relatively large diameter about which is coiled or helically wound from end to end in side by side or parallel relation a plurality' of heat exchange units, each of which includes a fluid conduit 6 in the form of a flattened spirally twisted tube. 'Ihe conduits 6 of these heat exchange units have their adjacent ends connected at the opposite ends of the core 5 respectively with headers 7 and 8 having fluid supply and outlet pipes 9'- and 10 respectively.

Each heat exchange unit also includes a tubular aconduit 11 snugly encasing the. conduit 6 of that unit and coiled about the core 5. The adjacent ends of the conduits 11 of the several heat exchange units open at oppo-- site ends of the core 5 respectively into fluid l outlet and inlet pipes 14 and 15 'ing theinlet and -outlet'pipes 9'"and 10.

outlet and inlet chambers 12 and 13 having surroundsuitable casing 16 surrounds the core 5 and the coiled heat exchange units 'wound about the same, and this casing may be suitably heat-insulated as indicated at 17. Alsofthe chambers 12 and 13 are preferably heat insulated as indicated at may preferably be filled zwith suitable heat insulating material 19 so as to minimize absorption of heat through the core- 5. While 1n some uses,

more efficient heat a finely divided heat con-.

18', while the core 5 about said core,

the heat'exchange units may' only of the inner conduits '6' and outer conduits 11', there arev some uses in which interchange is necessary;

In that event, I preferably arrange rods 20 at opposite sides of the flattened spirally twisted r conduit 6 of each heat exchange unit, such rods being loosely coiled about the twisted' conduits 6 and then twisted tightly with the Ication ,referred to above, depending upon vwhether or not the rods 2O are solid or tubular.

They have been illustrated as solid simply for example.

In operation of the heat exchanger shown in Figure 5, one fluid enters the conduits 6 of the several helically wound heat exchange units from header 7 and passes therethrough to the header 8. The other fluid through the conduits 11 of the heat exc ange units from chamber 13 to chamber 12', being in this way caused to flow in an exceedingly long path in heat interchanging relation with the other fluid passing through the conduits 6. In all cases, the two fluids are brought to a highly turbulent state and in most thorough heat interchanging relation.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the advantages of the present invention will be'readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Minor changes are contemplated within'the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. What I claim as new is: f l

1. In a heat exchanger, a core a plurality of fluid conduits/helically wound about said core in side by side or parallel relation, each of saidconduits bein in the form of a flat. tened spirally twisted tube, means to pass a fluid through said conduits, and means to conduct another fluid `in heat interchanging relation to said conduits.

2. In a' heat exchanger, a core, a lurality of fluid' conduits helically wound agout' said core in side by side or parallel relation, each of sa'idconduitsbeing Ain theform of a flattened spirally twisted tube,.means to passa. fluid through said .eonduits,. and means to conduct another fluid in heat interchanging relation to said conduits, in a reverse direction to the direction of ow of the first fluid through said conduits. A

3. In a heat exchanger, a core, a attened spil-ally twisted conduitl helically wound and means to conduct a fluid iin heat interchanging relation with said con- 4. A heat inter'changer having a uid conduit linthe form of ahelically 4wound flattened spirally twisted tube.

'5. In a heat exchanger, a core, a fluid oontluit in the form of a attened spiral-ly twistetl tube helically Wound about said core, and a :further Huid conduit snugly encasng the tirst-named conduit. A

6. In a beat exchanger, a core, a fluid contluit in the form of a flattened spirally twisted tube helically Wound about said core, and .a further fluid conduit snugly encasing the first-named conduit, said core being of hollow open-ended form, and means to pass a fluid through the core and the second-named conduit in heat interchanging relation with a fluid passing through the iirst-named conduit.

7. In a heat exchanfrer, a core, a Huid oonduit in the form of a filgattened spirally twisted tube helically Wound about said core, and a further fluid conduit snugly encasing the hrst-named conduit, said core being of hollow open-ended form, means to pass a fluid through the core and the second named conduit in heat interchanging relation with a fluid passing through they frstna1ned conduit, and means Within the Huid to he brought a turbulent state when core. In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

' EDWARD G. SULLIVAN.

to and maintained in said core for causing.

passing through said l 

